Why This is Important to Wisconsin: Wisconsin’s expertise in renewable energy could prove to be beneficial.
Mexico has “enormous potential” to develop renewable energy projects, a November 2023 report from the U.S. International Trade Administration (ITA) said.
Mexico has abundant sunshine, wind capacity, and geothermal sources, and with the right technologies, it could diversify its energy supply, lower the cost of electricity, and support both domestic and international companies that are trying to reduce their carbon footprint.
Mexico’s goal is to have at least 35% of its energy come from renewable sources by 2024. As of 2022, 31% of the country’s electricity was produced by clean energy resources, according to the ITA report. But at the same time, electricity demand is expected to grow nearly 13% in Mexico by 2024, the U.S. Energy Department said, in an April 2022 report. So, the gap is wider than it may currently appear.
In 2022, Mexico’s clean energy plants were capable of producing 31,000 megawatts of power, primarily from hydro, wind, and photovoltaic solar plants.
A report by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory said that since Mexico’s renewable resources are widely spread throughout the country, the potential is there to make massive use of them. “Mexico is ideally positioned to become a clean energy powerhouse given its world-class renewable energy resource potential and the low cost of renewable energy generation,” the 2022 report said.
The Mexican Wind Energy Association (AMDEE) said, though, the amount of electricity generated through wind turbines declined from 6.5% in 2021 to 6% in 2023. AMDEE Executive Director Héctor Treviño cited challenges with connecting wind projects to the country’s electric grid. He said four projects, with a total maximum capacity of 500 megawatts, were built two years ago and are still waiting to be connected to the grid.
Mexico plans to develop about 28 wind farms, with the capacity to provide a total of 5,000 megawatts, according to a February 2024 article by Mexico Business News. Currently, wind power generated in 71 installations provides up to 7,400 megawatts of power.
Wisconsin clean power companies may find opportunities to help open doors to install more renewable energy in Mexico.
